As a linear-type fastener, there have been widely known slide fasteners called commonly zippers. They have interlocking metal toothed pieces being attached individually to two cloth tapes, by which opening and shutting of articles may be effected.
Such conventional type of slide fasteners has undergone improvements for a long period of time since the end of the 19th century, when it was first invented and now becomes a very comfortable fastening device. However, in some instances, slide fasteners are not suited for some particular purposes.
For example, since the improvements in the past have been concentrated on achieving closely sealed interlocking of two cloth tapes, currently available slide fasteners show so great fastening strength that they resist unfastening or detachment by stretching with all one""s might by both hands. However, too tightly interlocked cloth tapes may cause inconvenience depending upon their intended use, where unfastening or detachment by mere stretching with hands would be preferred. For example, in cases where unusual force is put to a fastener when, for example, clothes are rolled up by a machine in operation, a worker wearing such clothes would run a risk of losing life, unless it is broken up instantaneously.
Besides, such conventional slide fasteners cannot work unless a fastening and unfastening tool called slider is used in conjunction. It would be desirable to attain fastening and unfastening without such tools.
As mentioned above, such conventional slide fasteners have their teeth interlocked closely. When used in clothes, for example, they prevent air from flowing in and out of clothes and tend to fill the inside with heat. Consequently, they are not considered suitable for summer clothing.
The object of the present invention is to provide novel, improved fasteners which eliminate the above-described disadvantages of the conventional slide fasteners.
A fastener according to the present invention consists of two tapes each having a plurality of female fastener members attached thereto and a plurality of male fastener members attached thereto, characterized in that each of the said female fastener members is provided on its attaching face with right and left bar-shaped members and that each of the said male fastener members has on its fastening face a single bar-shaped member which fits the female fastener member between the said right and left bar-shaped members thereof.
The fastener according to the present invention exhibits such a level of fastening strength that is broken up by stretching with hands, and is considered useful in fields of application where rather weak fastening strength is preferred.
The fastener according to the present invention can be fastened and unfastened only with hands without using special fastening and unfastening tools. However, the present invention is not intended to exclude the use of such fastening and unfastening tools.
Preferably, the female and mail members are provided, respectively, on one fastening part with a concave portion and on the other with a convex portion so that the resulting fastening strength may be enhanced by advantageous engagement of such convex and concave portions.
In the fastening condition, the male fastener member is positioned between two right and left bar-shaped members of the female. According to this construction, individual fastening members are fixed at a regular interval, and when used in clothes, consequently, can facilitate air to be flown in and out of such clothes. Accordingly, the fasteners are suitable for summer clothing.
In another arrangement of the present invention, a cross-linking member may be mounted between right and left bar-shaped members on the attaching faces of the female fastener member. This arrangement allows the male fastener member to be positioned between the cross-linking members of the adjacent female fastener members. In this construction, the fastener does not unfasten unintentionally through vertical force applied in the longitudinal direction.
The non-fastening faces of the cloth tapes may assume any arbitrary form, but when taking into account the easiness of molding, the male fastener member is preferably formed into a bar-shaped member, whereas the female fastener member is in the form of xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d.